money " matiers ting severance xe pay, sell or keep the house — © you send in the ques- ons, here are the : answers: ‘AS always, pay a fee or. er costs only if” you expect .to ger your money's worth in erms of (1) the fund's net’ eturn and (2) financial plan and one poor ‘one. Should I transiex all i my saoney to the good one?” — RJ. Find out why the ir ments in the poor plan have | been under: -performing. If funire: prospects also appear weak; consider mo' good in ‘the plan you already have. @ “Pm sin; beginnets on’ RRSPs in’ ada; Talk to the RRS! specialist at the place where you bank (which could also a trust The We or credit": walk: across the : a 32, have ew & WV resident creates a community of go-getters ’ Jan-Christian Sorensen News Reporter jsorensen@nsnews.com THERE’S strength in community — and support. : ~ Knowing this, West Van resident Allan Holender ’ decided to create a local community for entrepre- neurs, a place to share stories, learn from each ~ other's experiences and give fellow go-getters a leg up in cultivating their own budding business. Holender was hosting a weekly ‘ome business . ~~ gadio talk show on CFUN in Vancouver — which ; vas also’ syndicated to 32: stations in the U.S — when’ one of his listeners put him in touch with Mitch Shlimer, a co-founder of the New York-based _ Let’s Talk Business Network (LTBN). LTBN was formed a few years back “when ° Shlimer and. Larry Kesslin — two Big Apple busi- nessmen — decided: to create a training and support net: work = ta | ‘assist. _ struggling” entre: .preneurs. - Holender : decided it was thé perfect fit for himself — and Varicouver. - . “When! 1 did: the* ‘radio’ show a lot of © ‘entrepreneurs: “would cali’ up. and . say ‘We feel alone ° “and “isolated | and don’t have any sup- port?>and that swas the birth of the ‘Le’s Talk Business Network,” said : :Holender. Les And so, two years ago, ‘Holender became the first licensed LTBN partner outside New York. : Holender hiraself has had a carcer ali over the “map — — he’s worked at UBC, with Big Brothers, had “his own. marriage- and family- counselling practice “and ran the: Vancouver sessions for self-help guru, Anthony Robbins..." |” &: 1 fike to facilitate change,” said Holender. “For me, (LTBNj is sor of a culmination of a life’s jour- -ney, [always said. my mission in life is to empower ° people to succeed in business and in life.” oS Fora ‘fee of $2,406, entrepreneurs can join the growing LTBN community, which offers a custom- ¢: approach to helping entreprenetrs make their. way in the business world. Peer-to-peer mentoring sessions and in-depth consulting and coaching’ are. just a few of the benefits of meimbership.. fot\to mention a group of people who. kriow. firsthand, the ups and downs of ‘Starting a business from scratch. _ >. ce. “The* people ‘who. really, care’ are. your fellow entrepreneurs,” said Holender. “They care ‘whether Sunday, December 10, 2000 — Morth Shore Nows - 15 ‘WEST Vancouver's Alten Holender cakes 1 a call at his home, where he runs the Vancouve ‘chapter of the New York-based Let's Talk Business Netwovk. Holender alms to create a su : port and training sysiem f for local’ entrepreneurs. : you. win and they're there for you when you lose. You don’t talk about this to people who are nine-to-: _fivers because ther think you're nuts anyway . for. what you’re doing. : “You’ ve got. to have that commitment’ and _ you ‘ve got to be around kindred spirits that are like .you.” : ‘ After two years operating the Vancouver: ‘LTBN. “ ‘sarellite location, .Holender counts 25 members in: its ranks. It’s a priority to build this community “ slowly, he said, one member at a time.” : =. “We attract people who are really serious about 5 + get born in the homes, in the basements and ‘the their business and want to take it to the next level .We don’t get'a lot of tire kickers.” . And LYBN is only, getting bigger -— satellite | > offices have’ since beca established in Washington, D. .C., Philadelphia and New Jersey. ‘Holender will head down to Seatde next year and Portland in 2002 to launch LTBN sites there. “There’s tremendous ‘demand ‘for what we're offering because it gives people an opportunity: to not only ‘get individual one-on-one consulting and coaching Bat it also gives them that support system --with their fellow entrepreneurs,” he sat Holender’ s currently on holiday hiatus from his ~ independent. business lenders who li Internet Vv show called Newsparus, a’ weekly: half- “hour program that airs Friday morning: from 9 to 9:30 a.m. on.. .. Co-hosted with CBC’s Boni Fox,-Holender co ers the latest trends in the tech world,’ ‘Cyberspace and the stock marker." -Holender said: that one of th selling points ‘0! West: Vancouver —: which he, likens: to: Sausalito; "California —. is its: healthy business climate that encourages people to start up their own home bus nesses ventures; . . “This is where these- businesses get born. . kitchens. That’s where Bill Gates started. You: ‘there, you start small, keep custs low and move out from there,” said Holender. s The Face of Business is a son thy finbure pra i or work community. If you would like to be interviewed fora story, or recommend a unique individual, please'con- tact Jan-Christian Soreaeen ¢/o° The: North ° Sho News, fax: 985-2104 oe < -jsorensen@nsnews. cont. Whether you' re : shopping for that special someone or: treating yourself — we have everythisg } youre looking for at ‘= honest affordable Prices. Our 15,000 sq. ft. showroom features everything fron « dining & bedroom furniture to entertainment units, leather & fabric upholstery, arr, accessories & much mor We also custom. build in pine, *& cherry to suit every ‘decor. 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